[REPORTED]2.5.6 Performance

[speed-of-heat]

Well... I've discovered the frame rate in 2.5.6 is very similar to what it was with 2.5.5, but now I get constant micro-stutters every second or two, with massive long stuttering at random every 10 seconds or so. Worse closer to the ground. This did not happen with 2.5.5. It was silky smooth with the same settings (attached settings grab).

 

My frame rate is locked with an autoexec file at 30 fps, and even above Las Vegas I get 30 fps in the Hornet, and medium-high settings (see screenshot). So I know the hardware power is still ample.

 

Granted, my computer is older, but I will have to make do with it for now. It's an MSI laptop - GT70 running windows 8.1, with an i7-4810MQ @2.8GHz, 20 GB ram, Nvidia GTX 870M card (3gb dedicated), and the drive DCS is on is a Samsung EVO 860 1TB SSD with more than 25% free space (separate drive from OS, which is also an SSD). I tried updating my Nvidia firmware, but driver 425.31 is the last/newest driver for my card.

 

I identified any MSAA setting other than OFF introduces even more and aggressive stuttering. SSAA and SSLR introduce a very low frame rate. So I'm enforcing anti-aliasing with Nvidia Control Panel, set to FXAA On, Override, 8x. Looks pretty good in-game, and almost no performance hit, but screenshots have no anti-aliasing (bummer...).

 

Also set Nvidia power management mode to "Prefer max performance" and set Max. pre-rendered frames to "1" - this seems like a sweet spot. Helps a little...not much.

 

I feel like I've tried everything...

 

-Disable Hot-plug devices.

-Turn off shadows and various tweaks (like that graciously made available by Mustang) to disable ground shadows.

-Disable autoexec file/frame rate limiter.

-Ensured via task manager that all cores are set up to be utilized.

-Deleted the MetaShaders2 and fxo directories

-Turned off Nvidia control panel overrides for anti-aliasing, etc.

-Steam Verify Cache

 

None of these things helped.

 

Out of curiosity, I set my display settings to the LOW preset, and still had the stutter. So that indicates something other than graphics settings.

 

When I'm flying, my CPU usage is around 30-50%, and my GPU is 100%.

 

I wish I could roll back to 2.5.5 but I dont think Steam allows that. I'm baffled why 2.5.5 was smooth (and most previous versions of DCS, for that matter) but 2.5.6 is so herky jerky. Of course this happens days after I buy a bunch of modules in the 50% off sale....

 

Thanks for any help/ideas!

 

Brandon

Try turning shadows off...if you are running trackir try capping frame rates to 60, also your gpu is going to be a problem with bottle necking either with vram or sheer power, try turning down the visibility range, trees and smoke

Edited May 30, 2020 by speed-of-heat

[mtpiperpilot]

Try turning shadows off...if you are running trackir try capping frame rates to 60, also your gpu is going to be a problem with bottle necking either with vram or sheer power, try turning down the visibility range, trees and smoke

Thanks for the tips, Speed-of-Heat. Unfortunately, I've tried those to no avail. As I said in the original post, even if I reduce my settings all the way, on every slider, I still have the stuttering, and I didnt with 2.5.5 even on mostly high settings. I get good enough framerates (I find 30 acceptable), so the stutter is a mystery. Also, by capping my framerates, I am attempting to give the GPU some overhead - without the cap I would get about 10-12 frames higher. So, I dont think the GPU is maxing out (but it's close).

[speed-of-heat]

The other question, is what is your cpu/gpu util look like at idle when not in game?

[Eaglewings]

Thanks for the tips, Speed-of-Heat. Unfortunately, I've tried those to no avail. As I said in the original post, even if I reduce my settings all the way, on every slider, I still have the stuttering, and I didnt with 2.5.5 even on mostly high settings. I get good enough framerates (I find 30 acceptable), so the stutter is a mystery. Also, by capping my framerates, I am attempting to give the GPU some overhead - without the cap I would get about 10-12 frames higher. So, I dont think the GPU is maxing out (but it's close).

Can you trying turning off your anti-virus/malware software for some period if you have any installed while you run dcs.

Something similar happened to me and uninstalling the malware software and excluding dcs.exe file removed the intermetent (10 seconds) stuttering.

[TOViper]

Well... I've discovered the frame rate in 2.5.6 is very similar to what it was with 2.5.5, but now I get constant micro-stutters every second or two, with massive long stuttering at random every 10 seconds or so. Worse closer to the ground. This did not happen with 2.5.5. It was silky smooth with the same settings (attached settings grab).

 

My frame rate is locked with an autoexec file at 30 fps, and even above Las Vegas I get 30 fps in the Hornet, and medium-high settings (see screenshot). So I know the hardware power is still ample.

 

Granted, my computer is older, but I will have to make do with it for now. It's an MSI laptop - GT70 running windows 8.1, with an i7-4810MQ @2.8GHz, 20 GB ram, Nvidia GTX 870M card (3gb dedicated), and the drive DCS is on is a Samsung EVO 860 1TB SSD with more than 25% free space (separate drive from OS, which is also an SSD). I tried updating my Nvidia firmware, but driver 425.31 is the last/newest driver for my card.

 

I identified any MSAA setting other than OFF introduces even more and aggressive stuttering. SSAA and SSLR introduce a very low frame rate. So I'm enforcing anti-aliasing with Nvidia Control Panel, set to FXAA On, Override, 8x. Looks pretty good in-game, and almost no performance hit, but screenshots have no anti-aliasing (bummer...).

 

Also set Nvidia power management mode to "Prefer max performance" and set Max. pre-rendered frames to "1" - this seems like a sweet spot. Helps a little...not much.

 

I feel like I've tried everything...

 

-Disable Hot-plug devices.

-Turn off shadows and various tweaks (like that graciously made available by Mustang) to disable ground shadows.

-Disable autoexec file/frame rate limiter.

-Ensured via task manager that all cores are set up to be utilized.

-Deleted the MetaShaders2 and fxo directories

-Turned off Nvidia control panel overrides for anti-aliasing, etc.

-Steam Verify Cache

 

None of these things helped.

 

Out of curiosity, I set my display settings to the LOW preset, and still had the stutter. So that indicates something other than graphics settings.

 

When I'm flying, my CPU usage is around 30-50%, and my GPU is 100%.

 

I wish I could roll back to 2.5.5 but I dont think Steam allows that. I'm baffled why 2.5.5 was smooth (and most previous versions of DCS, for that matter) but 2.5.6 is so herky jerky. Of course this happens days after I buy a bunch of modules in the 50% off sale....

 

Thanks for any help/ideas!

 

Brandon

 

I would do three things more:

1) reduce resolution (there were times where I switched back to 1600x900 and was still happy ... because of very good fps)

2) check Windows if there is any power setting that reduces performance

3) give DCS.exe HIGH processor priority, and lower other ones

 

No more ideas so far for you :noexpression:

[mtpiperpilot]

The other question, is what is your cpu/gpu util look like at idle when not in game?

When idle, the GPU sits around 1 to 3% and the CPU 1 to 4% or so.

Edited May 30, 2020 by mtpiperpilot

[mtpiperpilot]

Can you trying turning off your anti-virus/malware software for some period if you have any installed while you run dcs.

Something similar happened to me and uninstalling the malware software and excluding dcs.exe file removed the intermetent (10 seconds) stuttering.

I tried turning off my realtime protection, but it had no effect. Still stuttering.

 

I had hopes for this one!

[mtpiperpilot]

I would do three things more:

1) reduce resolution (there were times where I switched back to 1600x900 and was still happy ... because of very good fps)

2) check Windows if there is any power setting that reduces performance

3) give DCS.exe HIGH processor priority, and lower other ones

 

No more ideas so far for you :noexpression:

The power settings seem fine. Other sims/games dont have this issue, so I dont think something inadvertently changed. I set the DCS.exe to High priority, and tried lowering the resolution, and they didnt help either. Thanks for the help though! I'm also out of ideas...

 

I guess I'll wait to hear what ED says.

[TOViper]

I guess I'll wait to hear what ED says.

 

I fear they will say exactly nothing, or if wonder happen, they would recommend to update your hardware. Check this thread, I started over it a little time ago. Now my system is tuned to 99.8%, so there is nothing more to get out of it (I think): https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=274882

[mtpiperpilot]

I've been paying more attention, and it seems the stutters happen in approximately 1 second intervals, and when low to the ground and near bases/detailed environments. Even though I'm not maxing out my CPU, RAM, or GPU (I was wrong - it doesnt sit at 100%, I've seen it get to 99%, but it fluctuates from 70% to 90% most of the time in game). I've read a few accounts of similar reports here and on Steam forums, but none resulted in any real conclusion.

[speed-of-heat]

sorry if this has already been suggested but try maxing out your preload radius ?

[Py]

Also try alt-enter to go fullscreen.

I get a weird 1 sec chugging if I have alt-tabbed to check something else, but alt-enter fixes it.

[speed-of-heat]

Also try alt-enter to go fullscreen.

I get a weird 1 sec chugging if I have alt-tabbed to check something else, but alt-enter fixes it.

 

and in that vein also turn off full screen optimizations

 

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/104080-enable-disable-fullscreen-optimizations-windows-10-a.html

[mtpiperpilot]

Also try alt-enter to go fullscreen.

I get a weird 1 sec chugging if I have alt-tabbed to check something else, but alt-enter fixes it.

I think we're on to something here! Only....it's backward from expected behavior.

 

I started experimenting with full screen. I noticed when I'd ALT-Tab, i'd get significantly higher framerate and higher and more steady GPU usage, and the 1 second stutter would disappear completely. It still stutters occasionally, annoying but not unplayable.

 

Then, I noticed the "Fullscreen" checkbox in the Display settings was on. I thought...why not try to turn it off and see what happens. This is where it gets strange.

 

After unchecking the box, the gameplay is smooth and high framerate. So, when I thought I was Alt-Tab-ing to fullscreen, what I was really doing is going to borderless window mode!

 

I've even been able to increase settings a little bit, and still maintain 30fps in moderately challenging scenarios.

 

So, for me at lease, full screen limits frame rate, dramatically curtails GPU utilization and introduces a stutter. Never would have thought!

[mtpiperpilot]

Speed-of-Heat, As far as the pre-load slider, I've also been messing around with it. I'm not sure it really does much that I can notice, though. I had it set to 60,000. But setting to 15,000 and conversely 100,000 doesn't seem to affect gameplay or memory usage.

[Bagpipe]

SSAA performance is dismal since 2.5.6, at one point i could get solid enough 80 fps with settings on max. Now i cant turn SSAA on at all even with MSAA off completely without stuttering at 20 fps. Haven't complained until now but apparently it is stable so i guess i can now reasonably complain a bit.

 

I will be launching my dummy and rattle off the Supercarrier if it is not resolved urgently ED :P

Edited June 2, 2020 by Bagpipe

[Bagpipe]

Just installed NVidia studio drivers instead of game ready and i believe they are performing better. Colours render slightly differently too by the looks. possibly 20-30% better in my case

[Robsongois]

Well... I've discovered the frame rate in 2.5.6 is very similar to what it was with 2.5.5, but now I get constant micro-stutters every second or two, with massive long stuttering at random every 10 seconds or so. Worse closer to the ground. This did not happen with 2.5.5. It was silky smooth with the same settings (attached settings grab).

 

My frame rate is locked with an autoexec file at 30 fps, and even above Las Vegas I get 30 fps in the Hornet, and medium-high settings (see screenshot). So I know the hardware power is still ample.

 

Granted, my computer is older, but I will have to make do with it for now. It's an MSI laptop - GT70 running windows 8.1, with an i7-4810MQ @2.8GHz, 20 GB ram, Nvidia GTX 870M card (3gb dedicated), and the drive DCS is on is a Samsung EVO 860 1TB SSD with more than 25% free space (separate drive from OS, which is also an SSD). I tried updating my Nvidia firmware, but driver 425.31 is the last/newest driver for my card.

 

I identified any MSAA setting other than OFF introduces even more and aggressive stuttering. SSAA and SSLR introduce a very low frame rate. So I'm enforcing anti-aliasing with Nvidia Control Panel, set to FXAA On, Override, 8x. Looks pretty good in-game, and almost no performance hit, but screenshots have no anti-aliasing (bummer...).

 

Also set Nvidia power management mode to "Prefer max performance" and set Max. pre-rendered frames to "1" - this seems like a sweet spot. Helps a little...not much.

 

I feel like I've tried everything...

 

-Disable Hot-plug devices.

-Turn off shadows and various tweaks (like that graciously made available by Mustang) to disable ground shadows.

-Disable autoexec file/frame rate limiter.

-Ensured via task manager that all cores are set up to be utilized.

-Deleted the MetaShaders2 and fxo directories

-Turned off Nvidia control panel overrides for anti-aliasing, etc.

-Steam Verify Cache

 

None of these things helped.

 

Out of curiosity, I set my display settings to the LOW preset, and still had the stutter. So that indicates something other than graphics settings.

 

When I'm flying, my CPU usage is around 30-50%, and my GPU is 100%.

 

I wish I could roll back to 2.5.5 but I dont think Steam allows that. I'm baffled why 2.5.5 was smooth (and most previous versions of DCS, for that matter) but 2.5.6 is so herky jerky. Of course this happens days after I buy a bunch of modules in the 50% off sale....

 

Thanks for any help/ideas!

 

Brandon

 

I'm having the same problem as you, before it ran smooth, now many stutters. :cry::cry::cry:

[ThorBrasil]

[DCS 2.5.6.50321 Open Beta]

This update made the DCS heavier. Sad! I hope ED resolves that.

[Gryzor]

This new update bring even more performance to floor. HORRIBLE in VR. Even with other bugs like washed colours.

This is the performance improvements & code that were promised not so much time ago?

[Eldur]

Thought it was just me, performance is down in the drink again. Just like pre-SC...

 

-------- Edit: Added what I wrote in patch notes thread --------

 

Anyone else getting like 10-15fps in the p47 on channels map? GFX options didn't change was getting 80-90fps before optimization issues i guess?

 

Felt similar for me... was around 20 in VR. When I exited DCS I noticed that I didn't have my Oculus ware running and it somehow still worked as probably SteamVR fired up in the background instead. Then I tried in pancake mode and was around 60-100fps with the exact same settings, mostly 80+, sometimes even going past 100. I'll now try in VR again to see if that Oculus ware not running made the difference.

 

But I also played around with that in order to reduce the foggy haze and set the values back to default before running in pancake. Had it at 450k. Since the thread is rather old, this might have much more impact to fps in 2.5, and it felt like it didn't change the haze anyway...

 

-------- Edit: -------------------------------------------------

 

Putting back the values did just a tiny little bit, having the Oculus things running in the background actually did more (so the lesser performance probably depends on SteamVR settings that I've yet to tune). After all, I'm still in the 25-30 range where I was in 45-60 with 49798. So almost halved the fps in VR again... reminds me of old bugs that had been fixed ages ago reoccuring randomly. Hope it's rather easy to fix.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Eldur

[zK_RazOR]

I will stop flying on the DCS. I can't get a NASA computer, which is easy to buy for those who live in a first world country (which I am far from living).

 

Only in this update today did my PC go from 19fps on the Super Carrier deck to 11fps. I had to put everything in the lowest settings to have 30fps and 40fps.

 

I really like this simulator, but I can't keep up with it anymore.

[heroe]

The night lighting also worsens, one step forward and one step back, hopefully everything stabilizes soon.

[Blueleader]

Hello,

Indeed I noticed the same problem with the update 2.5.6.50321 : I get constant micro-stutters every second or two !!!

[wilbur81]

The night lighting also worsens, one step forward and one step back, hopefully everything stabilizes soon.

 

Agreed. The new moon looks really cool, but the overall night lighting has gone backwards.